Mission for Makeba

Elyaine Gober is on a mission to save her daughter. Invited to Meridian by a prayer group, the Jackson resident is soliciting financial help for a kidney transplant for her daughter, Makeba, 20. Nine months ago, Makeba, a senior pre-med honor student at Mississippi College, was diagnosed with kidney failure due to high blood pressure.

With her brother prepared to donate a kidney, Gober says the problem now is money. Although Medicare will pay for the procedure, she says because of past experience with Medicare she feels it will be best if she comes up with the money.

As a result of non-stop treatment, Gober says her daughter developed a tumor in her jawbone, causing her to have surgery.

"Even with Medicare and the insurance we're paying, it was not enough to cover what the hospital had done and they were saying she had to go," said Gober. "I mean, you go to a hospital in an ambulance and you don't intend to leave in an ambulance."

Although Medicare will pay for the transplant, Gober fears that if complications arise after Medicare's cutoff point for coverage her daughter will once again face being released from the hospital too early.

At this time Makeba is unable to attend school. With dialysis continuing to cause other medical problems, Gober says her daughter is in need of a transplant and soon.

A benefit fund has been set up for Makeba Gafeney at Trustmark Bank. Meanwhile, with or without outside help, Gober says she will not give up.

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